Yhteisöllinen WWW-palvelun tuotanto yliopistoissa

Searching knowledge: CinemaSense as a case study in collaborative production of a WWW service in two universities
University of Art and Desing, Lily Díaz-Kommonen, Antti Raike

Esitysmateriaaliin linkki

Presentation material

We will present a design research carried out between 1999–2004 at the University of Art and Design Helsinki in collaboration with the Classroom Teacher Training Programme for Finnish Sign Language Users of Jyväskylä University, Finland. The design research was positioned in the areas of film, art, and pedagogy. Collins & al. (2004) argue for the need to develop a design research and science to investigate how different designs of ICT affect dependent variables e.g. in teaching and learning.

Among the aims of the project was to produce CinemaSense (Elokuvantaju) an accessible web-based study product, as well as to clarify the sign language students’ deepening of knowledge and conceptualization with respect to the subject of cinematic expression, as well as to understand the collaborative processes that occurred during the web-based course. These objectives were part of a general framework of inclusion, for a shared “university for all”, which adapts flexibly to the needs of different and diverse students.

The methodology used was based on user-centric and participatory design approaches as launching pad for collaborative design research. By merging participatory, action research and production a collaborative study concept dealing with cinematic expression entitled, CinemaSense, was developed and produced as part of the research work (http://elokuvantaju.uiah.fi/).

Concept maps, questionnaires, e-mail messages, diaries and documentary films of the research group participants as well as the concept maps and initial questions of the control group were among the data collected. Additionally, all aspects of the inquiry learning process, i.e. setting up research problems, constructing one’s own working theories, searching for new scientific information, were shared with fellow students by using Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) shared database during studies.

The resulting data corpus was coded and visualized using Self Organizing Maps (SOM). These maps provided us with a different way to see how the students’ conceptualization evolved during the studies.

The results of the work include theoretical investigation and description of a design research process. The CinemaSense service and a web-study course concept for flexible art subject studies were produced. The research also increased understanding in interactivity of multi-lingual, web-based study. We propose that similar methods can be applied in the production of multi-modal web courses, interfaces and services that, for their own part, promote inclusion as well as multi-cultural and flexible university study.